The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated polarization as masking and meeting in person became flashpoints among members. Several CBF pastors said they lost members who either thought the church was too cautious to reopen or not cautious enough.
Many CBF pastors at the leadership forum said they struggle with preaching about political issues. Some said their solution is to stick as closely as possible to the biblical texts and rely on the lectionary, or appointed Scripture readings, to guide what they say on Sunday mornings — only speaking to political or cultural issues if there’s a direct analogy in the text.
That strategy has helped Lee Canipe, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, which affiliates with the CBF. Church members can criticize his interpretation of a Scripture passage, but, he said, will not offer opinion.
“People tend to be much more open to hearing something uncomfortable when it’s coming from the Bible,” Canipe said.
Last week’s forum offered these often-besieged pastors workshops with titles such as “Self Care in an Anxious Age,” and “Effective Leadership in a Time of Polarization.”
At one workshop, writer, theologian and former pastor F. Timothy Moore challenged pastors to think of the Bible as a text that lends itself to numerous interpretations. He pointed out that the Bible has multiple accounts of key stories, including the creation story, the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ birth.
Most pastors conflate the different versions of these stories or try to smooth out the contradictions.
“In a polarized world, what would happen if we considered teaching the Bible as a conversation or a dialogue with multiple ideas?” Moore asked a group of pastors.
Balancing those interpretations and mustering the courage to speak out on moral issues of the day is no easy task. Yet, as Du Mez told the church leaders at the conference, the stakes are high.
“The state of democracy and possibly our communal good may come down to the folks in the middle,” she said. “If you feel like you’re up against a lot, you are.”
This article originally appeared here.
